Jan 27

Banging bottom for Bow River Browns

Winter fishing the Bow River, Canada

Winter can be the most exciting time to search out the finest specimens the Bow River has to offer. The food source is scarce, leaving the fish hungry like wolves! The past few weeks we have been in Chinook weather conditions here in Calgary. With mid-day temps reaching well above zero, the river has come alive with hungry trout waiting for an easy meal. I had a window of opportunity to fish the river this week taking advantage of both the amazing weather conditions and those hungry trout awaiting me. Picking the location to fish can oftentimes be tricky, especially when I had a long break in between angling opportunities. Knowing the river intimately, I chose to fish two locations which both have deeper, slow water that the fish over-winter. These locations in the river are places where the fish go in the fall and stay all winter long. The water is deep enough here that if, or when the river freezes, there is ample deep water for them to hold in. They move out of their summer lies and into these areas in the fall months. Knowing these locations is the first part in the key to success.

I packed my gear, gathered the winter clothing, and off I went in search of the Bow Rivers finest brown trout. Before leaving the house, I added some lures to my tackle trays. I chose to include more Rapala Countdown series baits in traditional Silver, Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout patterns before making my short journey to the river. In the winter months, the fish hold on the bottom of the river in either weeds or on the muddy bottom. It is imperative that you get your bait down to where the fish are holding, as the water is very cold and often times; the fish will not have the energy to chase your lure. It is very imperative that you present your bait to where the fish are located in the river. Using the Countdown method, (the lure sinks one foot per second), you let the lure sink down to the bottom where these fish are holding. Once the lure sinks down, I slowly twitch the bait making it move in a subtle fashion, then let it sink again repeating this process. Leaving the fish time to grab the lure is the most important part of the process here. If you are reeling to fast, or do not let the lure sink properly, your chances of hook-ups decrease.

I tied my Countdown on where I parked my truck and headed down the steep hill towards the river’s edge. The sun was shining on my face and my heart was beating faster with every step of the way. As I stepped onto the river’s edge, I observed several fish rising for small midges that were carried along the seam of the river. It was good to see active fish upon my arrival, even if they were smaller trout. I made my first cast far into the opposite bank, retrieving slowly with twitches of my lure. It only took approximately ten minutes until my first brown took hold of my silver Countdown. It is always nice to get that first fish out of the way early. After thirty minutes of no action, I switched my lure to an X-Rap 10 (XR-10) live sucker pattern and applied the same retrieval technique techniques. It was not long until I had a monster rainbow on and peeling line. It was such a rush landing both these amazing fish, which happened to be the first fish of the 2020 season in open water conditions.

I had a short window to fish and left the river happy and satisfied. As stated above, the key to success was using the right bait to get down to where the fish are holding. The second key to success was finding the right water and keeping the lure in the strike zone long enough for the fish to take the lure. Reeling to fast in cold water conditions can lead to fewer hook-ups. Keep you bait moving slowly to let lethargic fish catch up. Lastly, don’t be afraid to move to different holding locations on the river. Often, the fish will move up and down the river from deep hole to the next. One day they are here and gone the next. It is important to not spend too much time in one location, as the window of opportunity can be short in the winter. Moving locations in the river and finding the fish on a daily basis can lead to more hookups and success!

2020 is off to a great start so far. Spring is just around the corner which means my jet boat will be out of hibernation and back on the river in no time. I look very forward to another amazing fishing season here on the Bow River. I hope you are all having a great start to the 2020 season, whether that is open water or on the hard deck.

Dec 29

Happy New Year to all my friends and readers of the Blog

With another decade past us, and so many memories made; I would like to wish each and every one a very Happy New Year. May you all be blessed in 2020 with big fish, personal best fish and many memorable adventures outdoors!

Thank you to all who read the Blog and continue to visit my site year after year. Huge thanks to all my clients who choose to fish with me year after year.

I appreciate you all.

~Mike

Nov 30

Troutapalooza Trip on The Bow River 2019

The Annual Troutapalooza Trip 2019

What is normally a three to four day fishing extravaganza with my good friend Rob Clarke and his son Ben, in late July or early August, we only had one day this year for what we call our “Troutapalooza” yearly fishing trip. For those of you who read the Blog frequently, you would have seen our pictures of our overnight camping and fishing adventures the past few years. Rob, Ben and I normally camp on an island of the Bow River and fish hard for three consecutive days. Unfortunately with Rob’s work schedule, we were unable to do the four day trip this year. One day is better than no days I always say.

Rob and Ben arrived Thursday evening from Edmonton and we all gathered for dinner the night before our trip. I knew exactly where the fish were from previous guided fishing trips the weeks before. Over dinner and some laughs, we discussed how close to the bank the fish were holding and what kinds of baits the fish were taking. We only had one day so I wanted to maximize our time on the river! After strategizing our day over some delicious Vietnamese fare, we planned to be up early (4:30Am) and on our way to McKinnon Flats by 5Am. The Explorer Industry jet boat was all gassed up and ready to roll without having to make any morning stops on the way to the boat launch. After we finished our meal, I dropped Rob and Ben back off at the nearby hotel and headed home to get a good night’s rest, excited and prepared for the next morning.

My alarm woke me at 4Am and over to the coffee pot I immediately headed. I need copious amounts of coffee at that hour of the morning or I don’t function properly! Shortly after consuming my first java, Rob and Ben rolled up to my house, promptly loading their gear into my truck. I loaded up my thermos with more coffee before heading out the door to pick up the jet boat. We hooked up the boat in record time and off we headed into the early morning dusk.

As the sun was peeking over the East horizon, it cast glows of red and orange hues onto the wheat fields on either side of the highway. After the short drive from my place to the boat launch at Mac, we backed the boat up to the river’s edge and prepared our rods with the morning offerings of Rapala Countdown’s. I chose a traditional (G) for Gold; Rob tied up a (BT) Brown Trout for himself and the (RT) Rainbow Trout pattern for his son Ben. I slowly backed the jet boat into the river and off we went, happy and excited for the day’s adventure.

Please have a look at the video footage of our stellar “Troutapalooza” full day fishing trip. We landed some incredible fish and we all had a complete blast out there on the Bow River. If you are in or around the Edmonton area and are looking for fishing supplies, please head over to the south side Fishin’ Hole and see Rob. Rob is the assistant manager of the store and will be happy to help you with all your outdoor fishing needs.

I am very grateful Rob and Ben come visit me each and every year for this epic fishing trip. I am deeply honored and privileged to call you both my friends.

~Mike

Oct 14

Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours.

I woke up this morning one year older, and hopefully copiously wiser. It is sometimes hard to believe that I have been on the planet forty seven years now, but every time I look at my driver’s licence I am starkly reminded. It is Thanksgiving here in Canada today! I awoke grateful and thankful for another day alive. I have kept myself physically fit since I was a young teenager. I have always been athletic; involved in all types of sports including hockey, baseball and golf. When I was a pre-teen, I wanted to become a golf professional but that gave way to what I believe was my ultimate calling, a fisherman and fishing guide.

Since the creation of my blog, and the start of my fishing journey, I have met many beautiful people in and out of the fishing industry who have helped me and my business succeed. I would like to pay homage to those people here in this post and say a heartfelt thank you for all you have done for me and continue to do for me. I would like you to know that I appreciate your time, I appreciate your help but most of all, I appreciate you in my life! I was taught to surround myself with the best people possible, people who love and support one another and have a positive outlook on life and the future. The folks who have learned from the past, and go forth, setting a great example of how to live life to the fullest each and every day! I am humbly thankful for you all!

“Go forth into the busy world and love it. Interest yourself in its life, mingle kindly with its joys and sorrows.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson. It took a lot of courage to start this Blog and to embark on this journey. Today I understand that courage is something I develop. Each time I go through an experience that stretches me, each time I hold my own feet to the fire, each time I discipline myself and hold myself to a slightly higher standard than before, I grow inside, I get a little bit stronger, I strengthen my own courage and resolve to meet the next challenge.

To my dear friend Brent Truitt, thank you for teaching me how to blog and create websites with no prior knowledge of the internet or web skills. I was as green as the grass grows so to speak. We sat at your home for many hours drinking coffee as you sat and taught me how to become “The authority” in my niche, as you stated. I am very thankful for your time and patience.

To Dwayne Parsons, who found my blog in its infancy and graciously offered his help editing my blog posts for no cost. My writing was sub-par at that time to put it mildly. Dwayne would receive my articles via email and put what he called “The shoe polish” on them. Once the polish was applied, send them back to me edited, ready to publish. I would like to think my articles are more “polished” then they once were and that I have grown as a writer. I am thankful for you!

To each and every one of my clients who hired my service at the start of my guiding career, a huge heartfelt thank you for believing in me! To those who continue to hire me each and every year, I am eternally grateful and I thank you so very much.

To Greg S, and Andrew G, for offering my very first sponsorship in the fishing industry! When I first opened Greg’s email, I almost fell off my chair when it listed eight amazing tackle manufactures in this sponsorship. I worked very hard on my Blog and it was extremely rewarding to receive this offer. I went on to do several Calgary Boat and Sportsman’s shows to promote this sponsorship deal. I am honored and thankful you picked me to promote your business and the products you represent! I thank you both so very much!

To Mr. Steve Gower, it has been a huge blessing for me to get to know you since we met at the Calgary Boat show many moons ago. You my friend are one of the most amazing human beings on planet earth. I will forever cherish what you have done, and continue to do for myself personally, and my business. Every time I get to have you on the boat, it is an honor, and a true privilege my dear friend. We have forged a very close friendship over the years, fishing and laughing many, many days away. I have been your “Net man” for some amazing trophy trout. I would not trade those memories for anything in the world. I thank you for those late night calls, chatting for hours on end! I thank you for lending an ear when I need to talk with someone. I thank you for your gracious heart and beautiful soul, but most of all; I thank you for our amazing friendship!

To Rob Clarke, thanks for always having my back everywhere I go. It is a true blessing to have you in my life. I am humbled you come down from Edmonton and fish with me every year. “Troutapalooza” is always the highlight of my summer! I am thankful you chose me to create memories with you and your son Ben.

Thank you all for reading the Blog post here today. I hope you are all having an amazing turkey dinner with your loved ones and friends. For my birthday today, the BEST present a guy could receive is YOU.

~Mike